But a new UCI Pro Continental Basque team, Murias Taldea, was officially presented last weekend in Barakaldo, with the hope it can take over – as the team management put it – as a new “model for Basque cycling”.

And while Murias isn’t at the WorldTour level just yet, team manager JonOdriozola thinks that the team will need to build slowly if it is to be “the saviour” of Basque cycling.

“Basque cyclingneeded anew team to excite the people,” Odriozola told AS. “Murias is the saviour. It’s a solid project and open to anyone who wants to come to support it, it is for everyone.

“The mottounveiledyesterday is ‘illusionand hope’. After Movistar, there are few stuctures in this country for riders.”

The ‘cantera’ youth policy is certainly a priority for the team, with the most experienced rider in their first line-up Egoitz García, who moved from Cofidis to join Murias, and is the most experienced of the all home-grown squad of riders at 28-years-old.

Murias will target the Spanish and French racing calendars during its first season as a third division team and has steered away from the orange of Euskaltel, picking green and black as the colours for their Bio-Racer kit.

“We areclosing in on apretty nicecalendarand from thereyou can get goingand work withgood racing. We have someinteresting racesin France anda good team thatrequirespatience anda bit of work, but we willachievebeautifulgoals.”